Things I Did In Life Before Blogging: Production Designed and Art Directed Feature Films
In my decade-or-so in the local media industry, I had helmed six feature films - starting as an Art Director, and moving on up to the title of "Production Designer" as quickly. Funnily, in the Singaporean context, some folks in the industry think an A.D. held a position higher than a P.D. ("Director" sounds more lush than a "Designer" hahahaha).
So confusing were folks about the credit, I had also been introduced to students as a "Design Director" - a role that does not exist hahahaha or perhaps a literal mashup between a PD and an AD? :p
My Interior Design background helped me assess functional space management, while whatever TV-designing I had experienced helped in navigating the visual language of films, but least folks take for granted, the language of film is wholly different as well, and I meant the traditional feature-film-film, not digital cameras of these days. When "Check Gate" meant another step to the end of the shot, and not "Cut" as digital recordings get switched off.
It is always an extremely welcomed challenge to receive an empty-space that needed to be made into a functional living and working space, and the way where depth and history is achieved, is more work than anyone ever realizes as they watch the big screen - but perhaps I am over romanticizing the roles and scopes of what needs to be done. I had since stopped these battles for a long time now.
There is a vast difference between aesthetics-based design and art direction, versus one meant for communicative or emotive intentions, and as well instant-gratification, and a long-lasting impression … but perhaps different strokes for different job applications, I guess, as people choose to blur the lines unknowingly and lay claim to whatever exists in the vacuum.
But hey, this is just my personal opinion, and I neither count myself as a 'genius' to quantify my claims, but neither am i a 'naive idiot' for languishing in false fame lol
Truth be told, doing a feature film soon became an 'addiction', where having the ability to do as many as possibly can, somewhat overshadowed a need to do "quality ones" - which saw me meeting more people than I should, and not being able to spend as much time crafting the film (as I would like/loved to), also because the filmmaking culture here is very inclusive of the above-the-line positions, versus the abilities of folks below being able to do their job - they are EXPECTED to, but not necessarily given the information in time, or nurtured to develop, IMHO.
I remember when the resurgence of local films popped up unto the horizon years back - I was helming 2 of the 4 movies being used as examples of the 'trend'. Hell yeh I was proud of myself! But with that inevitably came arrogance and perhaps a single-minded stubbornness to have things done my way (I dare not say I am a 'perfectionist', but perhaps I seldom give in to "substandard realities" lol). I reckon I lost a lot of "friends" while making films too...
I also remember looking at my IMDb-listings and smiling to myself for the effort. Look, folks don't get spectacularly paid for their work here in Singapore, so the value of being credited somehow becomes heightened, to make up for that fact. And even now, "credit" is extremely important to me (be it blogging or otherwise) and as well i try to sit thru the credit rolls for movies i watch - becoz that is the least i could do, for the folks who work on these films - especially local films tho LOL
I do miss the job sometimes, but frankly with the way I pushed myself and my life (and unfortunately my various crew who worked with me), I burnt myself out pretty quick.
These days I cannot watch a film or production, without having to think; "How did they get that set going?" or "How did they get that prop to work?" … I used to say; "Once Art Department, Always Art Department" - and that is no lie. "Career Sickness" (Zi2 Ye4 Ping4) as we call it. Yes, it is true. hah.
What I remember most about the 'work', was spending an extraordinarily amount of time trying to "convince" folks of the vision I was trying to achieve. And the amount of time solving logistical problems, by far outweighed my time in trying to squeeze the creative juices. Ironically in a field of moving visual medium, getting a whole lot of folks to "imagine" along with you and your schemes, is actually a daunting affair!
So I had to learn fast, to communicate 'visually', versus my abrasive language communications skills (I was a loud grump lol - don't think any of my team/s liked me much ;p). If I cant tell you what it looks like, I have to SHOW you what it looks like LOL
Shown here are various conceptual drawings of different films, which lead to the actual staged set for filming - things that most people do not get to see. Folks need to know it is not just about "filling up space", but also the management of colors and sensory effect, and that it is not just about "pretty props" on show, but the "story" they might tell of both themselves and their owners ... but I guess that is a point lost on most.
I could go on forever, but I tell myself not to these days. This is a side of my passion I keep at bay most times, as I do not want to regress into perpetuating negativity (I already battle the demon on other fronts, so I do not need more from my beleaguered past hahahaha). The irony being, I actually taught "filmmaking" at a local arts college subsequently! LOL
Cheers
Andy :)
[ *Blogged on Facebook, circa June 9, 2012 ]
So confusing were folks about the credit, I had also been introduced to students as a "Design Director" - a role that does not exist hahahaha or perhaps a literal mashup between a PD and an AD? :p
My Interior Design background helped me assess functional space management, while whatever TV-designing I had experienced helped in navigating the visual language of films, but least folks take for granted, the language of film is wholly different as well, and I meant the traditional feature-film-film, not digital cameras of these days. When "Check Gate" meant another step to the end of the shot, and not "Cut" as digital recordings get switched off.
It is always an extremely welcomed challenge to receive an empty-space that needed to be made into a functional living and working space, and the way where depth and history is achieved, is more work than anyone ever realizes as they watch the big screen - but perhaps I am over romanticizing the roles and scopes of what needs to be done. I had since stopped these battles for a long time now.
There is a vast difference between aesthetics-based design and art direction, versus one meant for communicative or emotive intentions, and as well instant-gratification, and a long-lasting impression … but perhaps different strokes for different job applications, I guess, as people choose to blur the lines unknowingly and lay claim to whatever exists in the vacuum.
But hey, this is just my personal opinion, and I neither count myself as a 'genius' to quantify my claims, but neither am i a 'naive idiot' for languishing in false fame lol
Truth be told, doing a feature film soon became an 'addiction', where having the ability to do as many as possibly can, somewhat overshadowed a need to do "quality ones" - which saw me meeting more people than I should, and not being able to spend as much time crafting the film (as I would like/loved to), also because the filmmaking culture here is very inclusive of the above-the-line positions, versus the abilities of folks below being able to do their job - they are EXPECTED to, but not necessarily given the information in time, or nurtured to develop, IMHO.
I remember when the resurgence of local films popped up unto the horizon years back - I was helming 2 of the 4 movies being used as examples of the 'trend'. Hell yeh I was proud of myself! But with that inevitably came arrogance and perhaps a single-minded stubbornness to have things done my way (I dare not say I am a 'perfectionist', but perhaps I seldom give in to "substandard realities" lol). I reckon I lost a lot of "friends" while making films too...
I also remember looking at my IMDb-listings and smiling to myself for the effort. Look, folks don't get spectacularly paid for their work here in Singapore, so the value of being credited somehow becomes heightened, to make up for that fact. And even now, "credit" is extremely important to me (be it blogging or otherwise) and as well i try to sit thru the credit rolls for movies i watch - becoz that is the least i could do, for the folks who work on these films - especially local films tho LOL
I do miss the job sometimes, but frankly with the way I pushed myself and my life (and unfortunately my various crew who worked with me), I burnt myself out pretty quick.
These days I cannot watch a film or production, without having to think; "How did they get that set going?" or "How did they get that prop to work?" … I used to say; "Once Art Department, Always Art Department" - and that is no lie. "Career Sickness" (Zi2 Ye4 Ping4) as we call it. Yes, it is true. hah.
What I remember most about the 'work', was spending an extraordinarily amount of time trying to "convince" folks of the vision I was trying to achieve. And the amount of time solving logistical problems, by far outweighed my time in trying to squeeze the creative juices. Ironically in a field of moving visual medium, getting a whole lot of folks to "imagine" along with you and your schemes, is actually a daunting affair!
So I had to learn fast, to communicate 'visually', versus my abrasive language communications skills (I was a loud grump lol - don't think any of my team/s liked me much ;p). If I cant tell you what it looks like, I have to SHOW you what it looks like LOL
Shown here are various conceptual drawings of different films, which lead to the actual staged set for filming - things that most people do not get to see. Folks need to know it is not just about "filling up space", but also the management of colors and sensory effect, and that it is not just about "pretty props" on show, but the "story" they might tell of both themselves and their owners ... but I guess that is a point lost on most.
I could go on forever, but I tell myself not to these days. This is a side of my passion I keep at bay most times, as I do not want to regress into perpetuating negativity (I already battle the demon on other fronts, so I do not need more from my beleaguered past hahahaha). The irony being, I actually taught "filmmaking" at a local arts college subsequently! LOL
Cheers
Andy :)
[ *Blogged on Facebook, circa June 9, 2012 ]
